The tale of the Golem is surely one of the most curious legends around--a Jewish superman myth that inspired everything from The Sorcerer's Apprentice to Frankenstein and that, arguably, contributed something to the passivity of Jews being fed into the maw of the Holocaust. Chayim Bloch's book collects the stories into a comprehensive presentation of the Golem and the Carl Boese/Paul Wegener silent film gives us a classic retelling. Rabbi Judah Loew is seeking to protect the Jews of Praque from slanderous accusations that they use the blood of Christians in religious ceremonies. He reads the stars and uses Kaballah to sculpt a giant clay creature, the golem, that becomes servant and protector, but is dangerously mindless. After intervening to save the Jews several times an apprentice's attempt to use him for personal purposes sends the golem out of control and nearly destroys the ghetto. The film is a prime example of German Expressionism and one of the pinnacles of the silent era. The story is, needless to say, haunting and it's easy to see why it has been so influential. Even if you're not a fan of silents -- and, I confess, I am not -- this is one you ought to see.